Endless-type conveyer for coal and the like



Oct. 12, 1948.

v E. WILLIAMS ENDLESS-TYPE CONVEYER FOR COAL AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 10, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l I m/entor Ernesl" ml fi'amd.

m WW 6% E. WILLIAMS 2,451,424

ENDLESS-TYPE CONVEYER FOR COAL AND THE LIKE Oct. 12, 1948.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 10, 1945 I 11 1/211 tor Email nl ffams.

Patented Oct. 12, 1948 rec STATE-S PATENT OFFICE ".EN'DEESS-TYPECONVEYER FOR COAL AND THE LIKE y-Ernest Williams, Edwight, W. Va.

Application October 10, 1945, Serial N0. 621,556

..3 Claims. .1 The present invention relates to so-called underground conveyors ofthe endless type such as areeXpressly adapted for .use'in thehandling of coal 'inmines, and the primary-purpose of .the

invention -is :to provide a-nirnproved load pushing and scraper -flight tobe carried by the endless chain.

In 1 conveyor structures of the :type under consideration, the frame structure rise-characterized by so-called delivery and :return pans. These are sometimes-referred to in the trade 'as troughs, thecoal to be loaded being dumped :into the delivery trough and the lower run of thechain and the attached :fiights 1 traversing 1 back through the return trough. There is presently in use a who-piece scraper unit which has its: central portion fashioned into a :sortof'achair and thisis seated on and iastened to the, centrally arranged endless-chain, theenol:portionsbeingformedlinto properly shapedlandinclined scraping blades. and these having wiping or-scraping contact with the partitionsdefining theaforementionedupper and lower troughs.

TItlis -.we1l .knownzin :thisline of endeavor that some.of thecoal atthe dischargeendwhere :the

.conveyor loads same into-cars or-trucks, finds its -.:way -.back in the return .trough. e'Henceethe scraper units or blades..-simply;dragthe. coaliback v:and itradua1ly piles up at the intakelend .and interferes -.not only .with..the operation .of the :machine, but .promotes other .difiiculties. It fol- ..lows :that the .principal object :of .the present inventionis to fashion the blades of .the respec- ;tive scraper units with :depressions, said depre description and the accompanying .illustrative drawings.

.=In the drawings, .Wherein :like numeralsrare fi dtto designate like-parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal view in section and elevation showing the trough or pan construction, the endless conveyor chain, and the improved scraper blade units carried by said chain.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary top plan-view of'the lefthand end of the assemblageseen in Figure :1.

Figure 3 is a central vertical cross-sectionlon the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 2, looking in the dire-ctionof the arrows.

Figure 4 is an enlargedelevational viewof=one of the scraping blade units, this showing the scooping and retrieving pockets in .the blade portions.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the unit shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is anend elevation lookin from either .endof the unit seen in Figures .4 and "5.

1FiglllES.7 a1ld.8:aTe sectionson theplanes of the lines 5-? and 88.of1l igure 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring now to the drawingsiloy distinguishingreference numerals, it will'be seen that the .conveyor, as a unitary structural assemblage; is

denoted by the reference numeral It. The main :partsof thisassemblage are old and Well-gknown .in that said structure includes ajgenerallyihori- ,zontal, longitudinally extending partition H defining .the upper load-receiving and delivery trough, this partition being above ran underlying generally horizontal,

longitudinally extending similar partition 12 which defines the return trough. Suitablymounted at opposite ends of-the side walls. 13 are shafts it provided with sprocket wheels l5 and 55 over which the endless conveyor chain It? is trained. The upper run of the chain it travels through the upper pan or trough and .thelower run through the underlying or lower trough. The end runs travel .over .theL-outer -.peripheral portions of the sprocketwheels l5 and it. The scraper blade units are denoted anddistinguished from one another by the numerals I8. :I have taken a marketed or so-called conven- .tional type of scraper blade unit and have revised it to achieve the end herein desired. This unit, as it is now manufactured and used, is inthe form c0113, single. casting which is of a length to travel iproperly andrsnugly-in the channel-way. of the ate'd troughs.

The. general dimensions 7 are brought out in Figures 2 and 3. The unit is pro- :vided, at itscenter, with what.niaybelcalledtan ;adaptingandattachi-ng chair '89. That is-to-say, 5 this. chair 1 is r fashioned to fit down over thetcentrally=arrangedtendless chain. 'It includes a hori- .=z'r -tal, suitablyapertured, flat plateportlonifi send this extends across :and, fits :firrnlylon the links of chain and the apertures are arranged to accommodate bolts or other fastenings for securing said plate in position. The fiat, depending aprons 2i snugly fit against the longitudinal .zontal partitions sides of the chain and provide suitable adjuncts for the outwardly extending blades 22 and 23. The blades are slightly inclined so as to effectively shovel and push the coal along through the trough in the direction of the arrow A. All parts of the unit 19 so far described are old in the trade. The only thing that I have donebut this is important-is-to fashion the blades, adjacent the chair i9, with scoop-like pocket. The pocket is denoted by the numeral 24 (see Fig. 8), and this is done by shaping up the metal in somewhat a J-shaped form, as indicated at 25. By thus molding and shaping the blade portions, the small scoop-like pockets are formed. It is true that the capacity of these pockets is limited, but the scrapers move rapidly behind one another and therefore each scraper picks up a certain amount of return material and prevents clogging of the intake end of the'machine.

In Figure 1, we see the truck B to be loaded ,l l with certain overflow of coal or similar material at C. In the operation of the chain and the scrapers, some of the coal finds its way into the lower trough at the point at D. Naturally, as the scraper blades come around, they pick up this material and carry and drag it back from right to left and in a short time there is an obstructive pile of thus returned coal stacked up, as indicated at The improved scoop-equipped scraper blades come around and keep lifting off the top of this pile E and pick up a certain proportion thereof and carry it back into the upper trough, to again be carried in the direction of the arrows. The return stroke of the blades is indicated by the arrow F.

In Figure 3 of the drawing, the observer sees the upper run of the endless chain moving away from him in the direction of the arrow A (comparing Figure 3 with Figure 1), and hence sees the convex or trailing sides of the shallow scooplike pockets. In the same figure, in the lower part, we see the returning scraper units with the recessed sides of the pockets or scoops upside down. They thus return in this upside down state until they sweep around and lift up the surface coal from the pile E, carrying it up from left to right and dumping it back on the platform or partition ll. Here it is retrieved and scraped and carried along until it is discharged out at the right into the truck or car B.

4 turn lower trough, and a plurality of load-pushing and scraper flights attached at longitudinally spaced points to the runs of said chain, each flight being centrally attached to the chain and having at opposite ends outstanding scraping blades, and said scraping blades being obliquely inclined in respect to the longitudinal axes of said flights to facilitate pushing and discharging the material from the upper trough, and said blades being provided with concavo-convex cen tral portions defining pronounced pockets, and said pockets being adapted to function as loose material-retrieving and returning scoops.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a coal of similar material scrapin pushing, scooping and dumping flight for attachment to and for operable movement byan endless coal conveyor chain comprising a single cast body having a'hori- It is thought that persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates will be able to obtain a clear understandingof'the invention after considering the description in connection with the drawings. Therefore, a more lengthy description is regarded as unnecessary.

Minor changes in the shape, size and arrangement of details coming within the field of invention claimed may be resorted to in actual practice, if desired.

I claim: a

1. In a, conveyor construction of the class described, a frame embodying vertical parallel side walls having upper and lower generally hori- V mounted therebetween, said partitions defining upper and lower delivery and return troughs, sprocket wheels mounted at the outer ends of said troughs, an endless sprocket chain trained over said sprocket wheels and having its upper run movable through the upper trough and its lower run movable through the rezontal centrally disposed chain accommodating and attaching portion, said portion being characterized primarily by a flat horizontal plate which is adapted to overlie and to be transversely and rigidly secured on an adjacent run of said conveyor chain, said plate being provided at opposite transverse ends with integral duplicate material pushing and scraping blades',said blades being rectangular in marginal outline andrlying in substantially oblique directions in relation to said plate to provide the desired slant for effectively pushing and dumpingsaid material, the major median portions of said blades being transversely concaved to provide scoop-like pockets.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a coalor similar material scraping, pushing, scooping and dumping flight for attachment and for operable movement by an endless coal conveyor chain comprising a single cast body having a horizontal centrally disposed chain accommodating and attaching portion, said portion being characterized primarily by a flat horizontal plate which is adapted to overlie and to be transversely and rigidly secured on an adjacent run of said conveyor chain, said plate being provided at opposite transverse ends with integral duplicate material pushing and scraping blades, said'blades being rectangular in marginal outline and lying in substantially oblique directions in relation to said plate to provide the desired slant for effectively pushing and dumping said material, the major median portions of said blades being transversely concaved to provide scoop-like pockets, said pockets being adapted to scoop up loose material and being elongated in lengthwise directions of and occupying the principal area portions of said blades.

ERNEST WILLIAMS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STAES PATENT Number Name Date 919,419 Clarkson Apr. 2'7, 1909 1,036,432 Boyer 2 Aug. 20, 1912 1,850,686 Pangborn Mar. 22, 1932 1,917,134 Levin -1 July 4, 1933 2,019,961 Grellatly Nov. 5, 1935 2,380,384 Briggs July 31, 1945 

